As school holidays begin in Bath and many depart for sunnier climates, Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Energy and Climate Change and MP for Bath, visited Bristol Airport to see how they manage up to 40,000 daily travellers during peak summer.

Bristol Airport is the primary gateway for the South West of England and South Wales, serving more destinations and passengers than all other airports in these regions combined. It aims to continue to increase the number of destinations in the future including some destinations beyond Europe into the Middle East and the US.

As the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Climate Change, Energy, and Transport, Wera Hobhouse learned about Bristol Airport’s sustainability strategy and decarbonisation goals. 

In December 2023, Bristol Airport unveiled a new sustainability strategy with four goals: achieve net zero operations by 2030, support zero emissions flight development, enhance the local environment, and support the community. Wera Hobhouse learned about these goals during her visit from CEO Dave Lees, Head of Sustainability Hannah Pollard, and Head of Planning and Growth Andrew Goodchild.

They explained the airport’s plans to improve access to public transport, encourage the use of electric vehicles, and enhance cycling and walking routes. Currently, just 16% of travellers use public transport to get to the airport. The new transport interchange, expected to open in 2025, aims to make public transport more convenient and increase the number of people using sustainable travel options to reach the terminal.

Bristol Airport is committed to mitigating the environmental impacts of Airport operations on its neighbouring communities and is continuing to make improvements to the management of noise, air quality, waste reduction and to enhance biodiversity. It has ambitious onsite recycling targets, aiming for 65% this year, and owns Lulsgate Wood, 11 acres of adjacent woodland. It has a range of management and enhancement measures in place to support biodiversity, including the protection of horseshoe bats.

The airport is developing hydrogen infrastructure to support commercial flights by 2035. As a founding member of the Hydrogen South West consortium and the only airport in the Hydrogen In Aviation (HIA) alliance, Bristol Airport is leading efforts in hydrogen flight. The HIA, which includes companies like Airbus and easyJet, issued recommendations in March to speed up hydrogen flight development.

 David Lees, CEO of Bristol Airport, said: “We are proud to lead the way in sustainable aviation and are committed to achieving our net zero operations target by 2030. Our initiatives, from improving public transport links to pioneering hydrogen technology, are designed to reduce our environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable future for aviation. It was a pleasure to showcase our efforts to Wera and discuss how we can continue to innovate in this critical area.”

Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath, said: “As we face the urgent challenge of climate change, it is crucial that the aviation industry takes a leading and responsible role in encouraging greener travel. I am pleased to learn of the initiatives being pursued here at Bristol Airport to prioritise decarbonisation to reach net zero by 2030 and enhance the surrounding environment. I urge all airports across the country to adopt similar sustainable strategies and solutions.”